The marinade for this recipe is basil pesto. It’s easy to make my homemade version or just pick up a jar at the store. If you’re buying store-bought, I highly recommend looking in the refrigerator near the deli section of the grocery store.

You can usually find fresh, refrigerated pesto in this section that’s much better than the stuff in jars near the pasta sauce. Some grocery stores even make their own pesto fresh daily!

After tossing the chicken in the pesto, simply grill it up, then top it with grilled tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese. Place it on a bun with more pesto and fresh basil leaves and you’ve got a seriously delicious grilled chicken sandwich in just about 30 minutes!

How to make a Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Marinate the chicken. Toss four boneless, skinless chicken breasts with 1/2 cup of basil pesto in a medium bowl or plastic bag. Each chicken breast should be approximately 1/2 pound. If the chicken breasts are larger and almost 1 pound each, simply butterfly two chicken breasts, then toss them with the pesto. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes while you heat the grill. If you want, you can also toss the chicken breasts with the pesto earlier and let it marinate for up to 8 hours.

Grill the chicken. Heat a grill over medium heat, approximately 400°F. Place the chicken on the grill. Grill for 10 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. I also like to use this indoor grill to make grilled chicken. Since it cooks both sides at the same time, it cooks in half the time and will notify you when the chicken is cooked through to a safe temperature.

Quick Tip! If using an outdoor grill, I like to grill the chicken on a piece of foil for easy clean-up. You still get the beautiful grill marks without the mess!

Grill the tomatoes. Cut two tomatoes into 8 slices. Place the sliced tomatoes on the grill next to the chicken and grill for 2 minutes per side.

Top the grilled chicken. Place two grilled tomatoes on top of each piece of grilled chicken. Place a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese on top of each tomato slice. Allow the cheese to melt over the sandwich for 3-4 minutes.

Assemble the sandwich. Add the hamburger buns to the grill for 1-2 minutes. Remove everything from the grill. Place the caprese grilled chicken breasts on the bottom buns. Add two fresh basil leaves on top of the cheese on each sandwich. Spread basil pesto on each of the top buns then place them on top of the sandwiches.

Is a grilled chicken sandwich healthy?

This grilled chicken sandwich contains healthy fats from the olive oil in the pesto. It’s also packed with protein. Each sandwich contains a whopping 68 grams of protein! It’s also high in potassium, at 1079 mg per serving and high in calcium at 48% of your daily needs from one serving.

Thanks so much Jordan! And yes, they totally are! Their buns are basically a large version of their rolls, so delicious!

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3 years ago

Hi, I'm Whitney! I’m a sports-loving, coffee-drinking, food blogger, the host of “ 29 Minute Meals”, a contributing writer for TODAY Food, cookbook author and on camera food and lifestyle expert, regularly featured on news stations across the country! On my blog, you’ll find most recipes are made in 29 minutes or less, in one pot, or in a crock pot! Learn More